Shloka 3

अध्याय ७५ — दैव-पुरुषकार-समन्वयः

Reconciling Contingency and Human Effort

Devanagari script

उत वा मां न जानासि प्लवन्‌ हृद इवाप्लवे

Transliteration

uta vā māṃ na jānāsi plavan hṛda ivāplave

Translation

それとも、あなたは私を知らぬのか——渡り場のない川で泳ぐ者が、それでもなお前へ進まねばならぬように？ ビーマの言葉は鋭い道義の問いかけである。容易な道のない危機にあって、知らぬふりをしたり責任を逃れたりしてはならず、勇気と明晰さをもって事に当たれというのだ。

Word by Word

• उत: or; perhaps
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: common, accusative, singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• जानासि: you know
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: present, second, singular, parasmaipada

• प्लवन्: swimming; floating
• प्लवन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्लु
• Form: present active participle, masculine, nominative, singular

• हृत्: heart
• हृत्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हृत्
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• इव: like; as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अप्लवे: in (a place) without a boat/raft; in a non-ford
• अप्लवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्लव
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

Speaker

भीमसेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīmasena

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When circumstances offer no easy ‘ford,’ ethical action requires recognition of reality and steadfast responsibility rather than feigned ignorance or avoidance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīma addresses his counterpart with a cutting rhetorical question, comparing the situation to a swimmer forced to continue in deep water without a crossing—pressing the listener to acknowledge Bhīma and the seriousness of the moment.